Chart Beat
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Post Malone’s “I Had Some Help,” featuring Morgan Wallen, and Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” both strike the top 10 on each of Billboard’s global charts (dated May 25) – the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. – joining forces as the first pair of country songs to simultaneously appear in the top 10 of both surveys.
“I Had Some Help” debuts atop the Global 200 with 119 million streams worldwide in the week ending May 16, according to Luminate. In doing so, it becomes Post Malone’s second No. 1 debut on the ranking in just four weeks. Taylor Swift’s “Fortnight,” on which he’s featured, ruled for two weeks earlier this month. For Wallen, it’s his first leader, surpassing the No. 5 peak of last year’s “Last Night.”
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“A Bar Song (Tipsy)” is Shaboozey’s third global chart entry, following his two features on Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter. Both “Spaghettii” and “Sweet * Honey * Buckin’” logged one week on the April 13-dated list, just two frames before the arrival of “A Bar Song (Tipsy).”
Post Malone and Wallen’s team-up is just the third country song to crown the Global 200 in its four-year history (as defined by titles that have hit Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart), following Beyoncé’s “Texas Hold ‘Em” in March and Taylor Swift’s “All Too Well (Taylor’s Version)” in 2021, with each having led for one week.
Shaboozey follows at No. 5 on the latest Global 200, bookending the first pair of country songs to simultaneously appear in the top five.
The breakthrough of both tracks is even more significant on the Global Excl. U.S. chart, where country music has historically struggled, dating to the list’s September 2020 inception. While the Global 200 ranks songs based on sales and streams from over 200 international territories, Global Excl. U.S. removes domestic consumption, revealing the biggest songs in the world outside of the United States.
On Global Excl. U.S., “I Had Some Help” starts at No. 3 and “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” rises 13-10, marking just the third and fourth country songs to hit the tally’s top 10, following entries by Beyoncé and Swift.
While Post Malone and Shaboozey’s top five success on the Global 200 are in line with the highs of 2023 hits from Jason Aldean, Zach Bryan, Oliver Anthony Music and Morgan Wallen, their concurrent top 10 placements on Global Excl. U.S. far exceed that group, which, of their tracks, reached a No. 82 high on the tally via Wallen’s “Last Night.” None of the others even hit the top 100.
Plus, Post Malone and Shaboozey’s new hits appear on 13 of Billboard’s Hits of the World charts. “I Had Some Help” replaces “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” atop Norway Songs and leads Ireland Songs, while the latter holds at No. 1 on Sweden Songs. Throughout its run last year, which included 16 weeks atop the U.S.-based Billboard Hot 100 and a No. 1 finish on the chart’s year-end edition, Wallen’s “Last Night” appeared on just three such international rankings.
Surely “I Had Some Help” and “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” are both helped by major elements outside of country music. The former is by Post Malone, one of Billboard’s top 10 artists of the 2010s with strong history in pop and hip-hop circles, much like the crossover success of global country hits from Beyoncé and Swift. And while Shaboozey is a new act without ties to other genres, the song interpolates J-Kwon’s 2004 hit “Tipsy,” a No. 2 Hot 100 hit that also topped Hot Rap Songs for five weeks. His recent collaborations with Beyoncé can’t hurt, either.
Post Malone and Shaboozey’s chart hits are examples of the broadening borders of the genre, as a wave of new artists gain traction on streaming services and social media internationally. Extending the hot streak, Dasha’s country-pop hit “Austin” went viral on TikTok earlier this year and has since climbed to No. 23 on Global Excl. U.S., almost 60 positions above Wallen’s previous high.
True to its name, Gunna’s new album One of Wun debuts at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. The set launches atop the list dated May 25 with 91,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the tracking week of May 10-16, according to Luminate.
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Streaming contributes 90,000 units of One of Wun’s 91,000 start, a figure equal to 118.5 million official on-demand U.S. audio and video streams of the album’s songs. The remaining 1,000 units derive from a mix of traditional album sales and song sales of the album’s cuts. (One unit equals the following levels of consumption: one album sale, 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams for a song on the album.)
With his new champ, Gunna picks up his fifth No. 1 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. His last five projects have all ruled the ranking; the streak began with 2019’s Drip or Drown 2 and continued with Wunna (2020), DS4Ever (2022) and A Gift & a Curse (2023). All reigned for one week except DS4Ever, which posted five frames in the top slot.
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Elsewhere, One of Wun starts at No. 1 on the Top Rap Albums chart, where it likewise becomes Gunna’s fifth leader. It also opens at No. 2 on the all-genre Billboard 200 and gives its creator his sixth top 10 effort.
Millions of streams for One of Wun result in 13 of its tracks appearing on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, with the title cut’s entrance at No. 10 leading the pack. It secures Gunna’s 16th visit to the top tier and was the album’s most streamed track during its debut week, with 13.9 million official clicks.
Here’s a full review of Gunna’s One of Wun placements on this week’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. As 11 cuts earn their debuts, two previous releases – “Whatsapp (Wassam)” and the Offset-assisted “Prada Dem” — enjoy a respective second and seventh week on the list. The former climbs 28-24 for a new peak, while the latter rebounds 34-23, after having reached a No. 20 best.
No. 10, “One of Wun”
No. 21, “On One Tonight”
No. 23, “Prada Dem,” featuring Offset
No. 24, “Whatsapp (Wassam)”
No. 26, “Neck on a Yacht”
No. 27, “Hakuna Matata”
No. 29, “Collage”
No. 33, “Back in the A”
No. 35, “Treesh”
No. 37, “Still Prevail”
No. 39, “Trio”
No. 43, “Blackjack”
No. 49, “Let It Breathe,” featuring Roddy Ricch
What were the most notable highlights regarding the sonic characteristics of hits on Billboard’s Streaming Songs, Radio Songs and Digital Song Sales charts in 2023?
AI-powered hit song analytics platform ChartCipher has released its latest report – its first encompassing the Billboard Hot 100’s three weekly component charts – spotlighting key findings from surveys dated Jan. 7 through Dec. 30, 2023.
In October 2023, ChartCipher launched publicly, as announced jointly by MyPart and Hit Songs Deconstructed. The platform utilizes analytics from 10 of Billboard’s most prominent charts dating to the start of the 2000s: the Hot 100, Streaming Songs, Radio Songs, Digital Song Sales, Hot Country Songs, Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, Hot Dance/Electronic Songs, Hot Rock & Alternative Songs, Pop Airplay and Country Airplay.
Here are three takeaways from Chart Cipher’s newest report, reflecting performance on the Streaming Songs, Radio Songs and Digital Song Sales charts for 2023.
Which Genres Led Each Metric
“Hip-hop/rap and pop both commanded the lion’s share of streaming, each accounting for 27%” of all Streaming Songs entries in 2023, ChartCipher’s report notes. “Country followed at one-fifth and rock, at 19%.
“When it came to radio airplay, pop music dominated the airwaves with a 37% share,” per the report’s analysis of the Radio Songs chart for 2023. “Country also maintained a strong presence on the radio with a 31% share. Hip-hop/rap completed the top three, capturing 23% of airplay.
“The rock genre led digital sales with a 35% share,” ChartCipher reports of the Digital Song Sales survey over 2023. “Pop followed close behind at one-third. Country rounded out the top three at one-fifth of songs.”
Country, Latin & Rock on the Rise
Country, Latin and rock made noteworthy gains in streaming, among other metrics, on the Hot 100’s component charts in 2023.
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“Radio has been a stronghold for country music, though it experienced a slight but steady decline between 2019 and 2022, falling from 33% to 27%. However, in 2023, it rose back to 31%,” ChartCipher reports. “Digital sales for country music have been relatively stable, fluctuating between 19% and 24%. Notably, country music surged on the Streaming Songs chart in 2023 to one-fifth of songs, more than double its 2022 presence.”
Regarding Latin, while the genre’s share has been “consistently low” across all three metrics over the last five years, per ChartCipher, it saw “significant growth on Streaming Songs, rising from a steady 1% of the chart between 2019 and 2021 to 6% in 2023.”
As for rock, the genre experienced year-over-year growth across all three Hot 100 component charts in 2019-22, according to ChartCipher. While it “slightly dropped” among radio hits, “rock’s prominence continued to increase in streaming and digital song sales in 2023,” from 12% in 2022 to 19% in the former metric and from 32% to 35% in the latter.
Meanwhile, hip-hop/rap and pop have experienced setbacks. “Since 2020 there has been a clear downward trend in hip-hop’s streaming presence, from 53% in 2019 to 27% in 2023,” ChartCipher reports. Still, “hip-hop’s radio presence declined between 2019 and 2022 before rebounding to nearly one-quarter of songs in 2023.”
For pop, despite taking top honors in streaming (tied with hip-hop/rap) and airplay, as noted above, the genre slipped across all three metrics in 2023. Its 37% share on Radio Songs marks a fall from a leading 54% in 2022, ChartCipher notes. Pop also backtracked slightly from a 38% share of all Digital Song Sales hits to 33% and from a 28% take of Streaming Songs entries to 27% year-over-year.
Brighter Ideas
“Brighter timbres have seen consistent growth” in songs across all three metrics that contribute to the Hot 100 over the last five years, ChartCipher states of titles’ overall tones, with brighter sounds consistently more prevalent in sales and airplay hits than highly streamed songs.
ChartCipher
Still, among Streaming Songs, Radio Songs and Digital Song Sales hits in both 2023 and the past five years, “brighter-timbred songs saw the greatest growth in streaming,” according to ChartCipher. Their prominence in the metric more than doubled from 16% of entries in 2019 to 37% in 2023, including a vault from 27% in 2022.
Such hits in 2023, covering a wide range of genres, included “Barbie World” by Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice with Aqua; “Bubbles Up” by Jimmy Buffett; “Ella Baila Sola” by Eslabon Armado and Peso Pluma; “Fast Car” by Luke Combs; and “Snooze” by SZA.
Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso” (Island) continues to perk in the U.K., where the U.S. singer and actor’s pop hit leads the midweek chart. There’s a contender in the wings, however, in the form of Billie Eilish’s “Lunch.” Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Based on sales and streaming data […]
It’s been some kind of 2024 for Post Malone. Nabbing a spot on the guest list for Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter album (on the top 20 Billboard Hot 100 hit “Levii’s Jeans”) in March would be year-defining accomplishment enough for 99% of artists, but he followed that up just a month later with an appearance on “Fortnight,” Hot 100-topping lead single for Taylor Swift’s blockbuster The Tortured Poets Department album.
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And now, he’s got a third mega-collab that looks to be on its way to being his biggest yet: “I Had Some Help,” recorded with country superstar Morgan Wallen, debuts atop the Hot 100 this week with absurd first-week numbers in streams, sales and radio play — instantly leaping to the front of a historically crowded field on this week’s loaded chart. This time, Post does it as the lead artist, as “Help” is set to be the advance single from his upcoming album, hyped as the hybrid hitmaker’s full pivot to country music.
Does “Help” automatically make Country Post a successful endeavor? And will “I Had Some Help” buck current Hot 100 trends by holding atop the chart for some time to come? Billboard staffers discuss these questions and more below.
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1. Despite arriving at one of the most competitive moments in recent pop history — including a culture-swallowing Drake-Kendrick Lamar feud, massive viral hits from Sabrina Carpenter, Shaboozey and Tommy Richman, and even a record-setting Taylor Swift album (whose lead single Post himself assisted on) — “I Had Some Help” debuts at No. 1 this week. On a scale from 1-10, how surprised are you that the song was able to immediately power its way to the top of such a loaded Hot 100?
Kyle Denis: 2. Sure, Posty entered 2024 on a bit of a commercial decline – but this is the artist with the most RIAA Diamond singles in history we’re talking about here! You team him up with Wallen, the voice behind 2023 Year-End Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 single “Last Night,” and you’re guaranteed an instant smash. Of course, there are a few other elements that made the timing right. Country music is probably the buzziest mainstream genre right now, they debuted the song live at Stagecoach 2024 and Posty is coming off a pair of blockbuster collabs with the two defining pop stars of our time: Beyoncé and Taylor Swift.
Lyndsey Havens: Is “0” an option? Even if the song wasn’t such a smash, given the collaborators alone, this song was always going to come out swinging. Both Wallen and Posty are quite comfortable atop the Billboard charts – and seem to climb there time and time again with ease. And while the Hot 100’s upper echelon has been especially fun lately, and welcoming of newcomers, when you put two veteran hitmakers together on an undeniably catchy country-pop song amid a hot streak for the former genre, it’s a recipe for chart-topping success.
Jason Lipshutz: A 3. Sure, it’s a crowded moment near the top of the Hot 100, but Morgan Wallen had proven to possess the star power to slice through any chart competition thrown his way — after all, 2023 was a busy year in pop, and he owned the longest-leading album (One Thing at a Time) and No. 1 hit (“Last Night”) on the Billboard 200 and Hot 100, respectively. Considering the added juice of a Post Malone collaboration, and the summer-friendly, anthemic vibe of “I Had Some Help,” it’s not shocking that the song debuted atop the Hot 100, regardless of what else might have blocked its path.
Jessica Nicholson: 5. “I Had Some Help” arrives with the combined star power of Post Malone and Wallen (whose albums have been entrenched at the upper ranks of the Billboard 200 over the past three years). Also, the song has not only massive streaming numbers, but solid radio support — becoming the first song to reach the top 10 on the Country Airplay chart in two or fewer weeks since Garth Brooks with “More Than a Memory” in 2007. Plus, the song released in a sweet spot just weeks following the release of Taylor’s blockbuster album and the surge of many of those viral hits (Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” and Carpenter’s “Espresso” have been on the Hot 100 for five weeks, and Richman’s “Million Dollar Baby” for three weeks), further opening a window for “I Had Some Help” to dominate.
Andrew Unterberger: Let’s say a 4. At this time a couple years ago, it would’ve been a 0, obviously — but at this point of 2024, things are crowded enough and Post had cooled off enough commercially (at least as a lead artist) that I didn’t think it was a given that this (or any song really) would just sail in to No. 1 on the Hot 100. But it obviously sounded like a hit, and people have obviously responded to it like a hit, so can’t really say it’s that surprising, even with the larger context.
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2. Despite Post Malone being the lead artist on the song, it takes place on featured artist Morgan Wallen’s sonic home turf. Which one of the two do you think the song belongs to more — and which do you think its immediate success is more meaningful for?
Kyle Denis: “I Had Some Help” is definitely country, but, melodically, it’s a pretty natural progression from Posty’s pop-rock bangers like “Circles” and “Chemical.” I also think the track’s immediate success is more meaningful for Post Malone. Last year, Wallen took “Last Night” to the top five of Pop Airplay without a remix or a guest artist, signaling the completion of his redemption arc after his 2021 N-word slur controversy. With a Year-End No. 1 single and sold-out stadiums to his name, Wallen has already proven his pop bonafides, but Malone hasn’t done the same for his country chops yet. The success of “Help” is a very good sign for his forthcoming country album and his future on the notoriously insular format.
Lyndsey Havens: I’ve been wondering this myself, and think part of why it’s succeeding is because it’s a bit unclear. Morgan welcomed Post onstage during his headlining Stagecoach set to debut the song – yet Post’s Stagecoach merch, a single t-shirt, read, “‘I Had Some Help’ is a song featuring Morgan Wallen on Post Malone’s new album.” And during last week’s Academy of Country Music Awards, Post performed the song solo, and it landed just as well. I think the fact that it doesn’t really seem to matter who the song belongs to is the secret sauce here – the fact that both artists have seen a spike in consumption of their back catalogs seems to be further proof.
Plus, the fact that both Wallen and Post have something to gain is worth remembering; for Wallen, a co-sign from a mostly universally beloved artist such as Post Malone can only help public opinion, while for Post, a co-sign from country’s top reigning artist today can only help the community rally around his entry into the genre even more. All of which is to say, I think the success of this song is equally meaningful for both artists, and their respective fanbases.
Jason Lipshutz: Although Post Malone dominates the opening verse and chorus, “I Had Some Help” belongs to Wallen, both in terms of the country production as well as the adoption of his persona. The song may be more uptempo than Wallen’s past smashes, but the arrangement is right in his wheelhouse, and the post-breakup messiness of the lyrics is a topic he’s ruminated on quite a bit over the course of his career. “I Had Some Help” contains an edgy bitterness atypical of a festival-ready singalong, but Wallen sells the sourness, and ropes in Posty for moral support.
Jessica Nicholson: Sonically, this feels like it belongs to Wallen, as it is right in his wheelhouse, and counts some of Wallen’s mainstay country writers in the song’s credits. The song’s success has more meaning for Posty, as this marks his official foray into the country genre, with a cosign from a stadium-level performer in Wallen — which is an asset in a genre that has historically often been wary of pop “outsiders” crossing into the country lane.
Andrew Unterberger: To be honest, I often have to remind myself that this isn’t just a Morgan Wallen song. Which isn’t to say that it doesn’t feel like a Post song too, or that his contributions are negligible, but this song is so firmly in the sonic lane that Wallen established with the title tracks of his Dangerous and One Thing at a Time albums — my favorite songs on their respective albums, worth saying — that “Help” just feels to me like him finishing the trilogy. But it’s obviously a bigger boost to Post: Wallen can do no wrong commercially at the moment, but Post really kinda needed the help for a “Help”-sized hit.
3. “Help” represents the first release in Post Malone’s long-buzzed-about pivot to country music. Do you think a smash like “I Had Some Help” already pre-certifies his musical transition as a successful one, or do you think we still have to wait for the full album is out to say for sure?
Kyle Denis: I don’t think “Help” pre-certifies anything. Beyoncé’s “Texas Hold ‘Em” made country radio history, but she’s yet to launch another successful country hit off Cowboy Carter that lasted beyond the release week rush. “Help” could very well become the 2024 song of the summer, but that doesn’t automatically mean the album will be a smash as well. I say we wait and see, but my gut (and brain) tells me that Posty is already in a much better position than Queen Bey.
Lyndsey Havens: I’m biased on this one, since I’ve been saying this transition would be as smooth as Raising Cane’s special sauce since Post uploaded an acoustic cover of Bob Dylan’s “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right” to YouTube 10 years ago. While I never doubted the sonic shift would land, I do think debuting with a global smash that features a star like Wallen will surely help his forthcoming album arrive as a success.
Jason Lipshutz: As big as “Help” already is, we’ll see just how successful a Post Malone country album proves to be. Although he’s had a splashy year as a collaborator, we’re less than a year removed from a solo album, Austin, that took some bold sonic chances but underperformed commercially. Wallen’s co-sign will help engrain Posty to mainstream country listeners, though, so if he wants to really nail this pivot from a charts perspective, let’s hope the project is ready to get rolling soon, while “Help” is still putting up huge streaming and radio numbers.
Jessica Nicholson: Texas native Post Malone has already earned co-signs in the country space by performing with Brad Paisley, Sara Evans and Dwight Yoakam at Stagecoach — and teaming with one of country music’s most successful current artists in Wallen certainly doesn’t hurt. The song has reached an essential milestone of being accepted by country radio, ranking at No. 9 on the Country Airplay chart, in just a handful of weeks on the chart. Post Malone’s ACM Awards performance included a preview of new music that sounded very influenced by traditional country sounds. It’s clear that he’s been accepted by his fellow artists, but also by the fans — if the time he spent shaking hands with fans at Stagecoach (and making that personal connection which is still important in the country genre) is any indication. Taken together, it is an auspicious start; still, to fully cement his success in the country genre, it would be great to see him have a solo country hit. So we’ll have to wait and see.
Andrew Unterberger: Having his biggest hit since (at least) “Circles” is obviously a huge win for Posty and his new album regardless, but I don’t think it’s necessarily a guarantee that the rest of the set will be so well-received. “Help” is exceptional and Wallen is a cheat code, but the other, more ballad-y song that Post debuted at the ACM Awards last week I didn’t find so convincing on first listen. And while “Help” may end up being bigger than any single from Cowboy Carter, that album set a bar for artistic quality and coherence from this year’s country-crossover aspirants that won’t be easily neared, let alone cleared.
4. We’ve seen a lot of turnover at the top of the Hot 100 recently — five songs across the last six weeks. With its staggering opening numbers and rapidly expanding radio presence, do you think “I Had Some Help” will finally be the song to stabilize the top spot in more of a long-term sense?
Kyle Denis: In a year like 2024, I’m going to say no. Maybe Kendrick Lamar and Drake reignite their beef, maybe a new musical war commences, maybe Billie Eilish’s “Lunch” grows even bigger, maybe Zach Bryan’s upcoming single really takes off, maybe Beyoncé drops Act III or maybe another song comes out of nowhere with monster streams à la Tommy Richman’s “Million Dollar Baby.”
“I Had Some Help” definitely has the potential – and arguably the best chances – to stabilize the top spot, but I won’t put my money on it quite yet. Let’s see if it can at least match the three weeks of Future & Metro Boomin’s Lamar-assisted “Like That” first — or the four weeks of Jack Harlow’s “Lovin On Me.”
Lyndsey Havens: Not really – and I sort of hope it doesn’t. As much as I love “Help,” I’ve been loving the welcoming attitude of the Hot 100’s top 10 lately and am excited to see it continue. And on the heels of a new album from Billie Eilish – and hey, there could even be more surprises from Taylor ahead – I think at the very least pop’s biggest stars will continue to shake up the chart. And at the same time, newcomers to the summit like Carpenter and Shaboozey got there because their respective hits – “Espresso” and “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” – are so undeniably and sickeningly catchy. Heading into the summer months, it’s surprise viral smashes like those that often seem to sustain.
Jason Lipshutz: In a vacuum, I’d say that “Help” has a great chance of spending multiple weeks at No. 1, especially as country radio kicks in and boosts its chart points… but it really is a VERY crowded time in the top 10. We have a trio of hits — Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso,” Tommy Richman’s “Million Dollar Baby” and Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” — that haven’t reached No. 1 yet but very well could in the coming weeks, while Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” is still earning gargantuan streaming numbers and could return to the top spot at any time. Plus, Billie Eilish’s album is performing very well out of the gate! If I had to bet, I’d say “Help” notches a few more weeks at No. 1 in the coming months, but it’s not a lock like it may have been had it bowed at a different time.
Jessica Nicholson: Posty’s collaboration with Taylor Swift spent two weeks atop the Hot 100, and now he’s teamed with one of country music’s current biggest-selling artists. Plus, the song is catchy, with the kind of singalong vibe that seems perfect as a summer soundtrack and has solid radio engagement. So, it’s very likely this could be a multi-week chart-topper.
Andrew Unterberger: I feel silly saying this, because I’ve been wrong in predicting multiple other big songs this year ending up long-lasting No. 1s, when they each ultimately topped out at a few weeks at most. But here we go again: Given the lead “Help” already has at radio over much of its competition — after not even two full weeks! — and given how strongly it’s still streaming and selling, I just can’t see anything currently on the chart getting past it anytime soon without another major boost. Maybe Shaboozey gets J-Kwon for an unstoppably charming “Bar Song” remix in the next week and makes me look stupid (again), but just going on the evidence we currently have, I gotta play the percentages and say this thing is gonna be No. 1 for a good long time.
5. If you were looking to put together a dream year of collaborations with the biggest recording artists in music, knocking off team-ups with Beyoncé, Taylor Swift and now Morgan Wallen would be a pretty damn good start. If you were Post Malone essentially looking for the clean sweep, who would you get for your fourth superstar collaborator this year?
Kyle Denis: I mean, he’s gotta pick a side between Kendrick and Drake. It’s only right!
Lyndsey Havens: If it’s a clean sweep we want, I’d say he and Ari should get in the studio stat. As she continues to promote her Eternal Sunshine album, a remix or bonus track featuring Posty could come as a pleasant chart-topping surprise; and for any naysayers, I doubt many could envision how he would sound alongside Beyoncé or Swift before those hits arrived, either. But if we’re less concerned with another No. 1, I’d suggest a collab with Kacey Musgraves or Maggie Rogers. Both artists are masters of the country-folk-pop seesaw and could be better suited to help usher Post into his new era.
Jason Lipshutz: Simple: team up with Kendrick Lamar for a post-Drake victory lap single. “I Hate You (An Angrier Song),” anyone?
Jessica Nicholson: Zach Bryan or SZA would rank high on a list of potential superstar collaborators.
Andrew Unterberger: Let’s go historical and say Paul McCartney. Macca and Posty! Both the cuteness and the hooks would be overwhelming.
For the first time, two songs have at least 70 million official U.S. streams in a single chart week.
Post Malone’s “I Had Some Help,” featuring Morgan Wallen, earned 76.4 million in the May 10-16 tracking week, according to Luminate. The same frame, Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” tallies its second week of 70 million-plus streams, with 72 million, a 2% jump from 70.9 million in the May 3-9 frame.
As a result, “I Had Some Help” debuts at No. 1 on Billboard‘s Streaming Songs chart dated May 25, pushing “Not Like Us” down to No. 2.
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That’s the first time two songs have had at least 70 million weekly official U.S. streams since Billboard incorporated streaming data into its charts, with the Streaming Songs tally beginning in 2013. The closest any week had previously come was on the Aug. 22, 2020, survey, when Cardi B’s “WAP,” featuring Megan Thee Stallion, reigned via 93 million streams, followed by Drake’s “Laugh Now Cry Later,” featuring Lil Durk, with 69.8 million.
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And that’s before one brings Tommy Richman’s “Million Dollar Baby,” the May 25 Streaming Songs chart’s No. 3 song, into the equation. It ranks with 66.3 million streams, up 14%. You can probably see where this is going: the May 25 rundown is the first time three songs have accrued 60 million streams or more in a single week.
“I Had Some Help” reigns in its first week, having been released May 10. It’s Post Malone’s fourth No. 1 on Streaming Songs and second in a row, following his rule as a featured artist on Taylor Swift’s “Fortnight” earlier in May. His other No. 1s were “Rockstar,” featuring 21 Savage, in 2017 and “Sunflower (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse),” billed as a co-lead with Swae Lee, in 2019.
Wallen, meanwhile, boasts his second No. 1, following a long rule for “Last Night” last year. As “Last Night” rose to No. 1 rather than debuting there, “I Had Some Help” becomes his first entry to premiere atop Streaming Songs.
Lamar’s “Not Like Us” achieves an additional distinction of being the first song in the chart’s history to actually rise in streams after first accruing 70 million since chart calculations began including only official streaming content in September 2020. That said, Lamar’s first week (May 3-9) was with a partial week of data, as “Not Like Us” was released May 4.
Going back to that week in September 2020, the new May 25, 2024, chart contains three of the seven biggest streaming weeks since. “I Had Some Help” is the biggest, while “Not Like Us” achieves the fourth largest in its latest frame, while “Million Dollar Baby” boasts the seventh largest.
Biggest Streaming Weeks Since Sept. 19, 2020:
“I Had Some Help,’ Post Malone feat. Morgan Wallen, 76.4 million (May 25, 2024)
“Fortnight,” Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone, 76.2 million (May 4, 2024)
“Drivers License,” Olivia Rodrigo, 76.1 million (Jan. 23, 2021)
“Not Like Us,” Kendrick Lamar, 72 million (May 25, 2024)
“Not Like Us,” Kendrick Lamar, 70.9 million (May 18, 2024)
“Way 2 Sexy,” Drake feat. Future & Young Thug, 67.3 million (Sept. 18, 2021)
“Million Dollar Baby,” Tommy Richman, 66.3 million (May 25, 2024)
“Good 4 U,” Olivia Rodrigo, 62.7 million (June 5, 2021)
“Flowers,” Miley Cyrus, 59.8 million (Feb. 4, 2023)
“Anti-Hero,” Taylor Swift, 59.7 million (Nov. 5, 2022)
Of the above, all were the No. 1 songs of the week on the Streaming Songs chart, aside from “Not Like Us” and “Million Dollar Baby” via the May 25 chart.
Concurrently, as previously reported, “I Had Some Help” reigns on the multimetric Billboard Hot 100, followed by “Not Like Us” and “Million Dollar Baby” at Nos. 2 and 3, respectively.
Elevation Worship’s “Praise,” featuring Brandon Lake, Chris Brown and Chandler Moore, ascends to No. 1 on Billboard’s Christian Airplay chart dated May 25.
During the May 10-16 tracking week, the song drew 6.2 million audience impressions, according to Luminate.
Elevation Worship frontman Brown co-wrote the song with Lake, Moore, Pat Barrett, Cody Carnes and Steven Furtick.
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The Charlotte, N.C.-based Elevation Worship rolls up its fourth Christian Airplay chart-topper. It’s Lake’s third and the first each for Brown (in an individually credited role) and Moore.
“Praise” dominates the multimetric Hot Christian Songs tally for an 11th week, having become the collective’s third leader on the list. Brown told Billboard upon the song’s coronation in March, “It is such an honor to be No. 1 again. We’re blown away by what God has done with ‘Praise,’ and we’re thankful for everyone who has streamed, tuned in and shared the song. We hope it is a great reminder of all the reasons to praise God not just for what He’s done, but for who He is.”
In addition to its airplay, “Praise” collected 3 million official U.S. streams and sold 1,000 downloads May 10-16.
Concurrently, the single leads the Christian AC Airplay chart for a second frame.
Mitchell, McClurkin Lead Gospel Airplay
On Gospel Airplay, VaShawn Mitchell’s “See the Goodness,” featuring Donnie McClurkin, rises to No. 1.
The song, which Mitchell wrote solo and co-produced with Thomas Hardin Jr., marks Mitchell’s fourth Gospel Airplay No. 1. The Chicago singer-songwriter previously reigned with “Lifted Up,” for a week in July 2021; “Joy” (seven weeks, 2017); and “Nobody Greater” (nine weeks, 2010-11).
Mitchell logged his first Gospel Airplay entry as featured on GMWA Mass Choir’s No. 8-peaking “Only a Test,” which began his tally of seven top 10s to date, in 2005.
McClurkin, from Copiague on Long Island, N.Y., adds his third Gospel Airplay chart-topper among seven top 10s. His debut entry, “I Call You Faithful,” became his first No. 1, for seven weeks, in 2005. He led again with “I Need You” for a week in 2017.
English singer-songwriter Myles Smith lands his first career entry on the Billboard Hot 100 chart (dated May 25), as his breakout single “Stargazing” debuts at No. 77. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Released May 10 on It’s Okay To Feel/RCA Records, the track arrives on the […]
August Moon is a global sensation in the new Prime Video rom-com The Idea of You. And now, the group is officially a Billboard-charting act. The film centers around Solène Marchand, played by Anne Hathaway, a 40-year-old single mother who has a meet-cute at Coachella with Hayes Campbell, a member of the boy band August […]
05/21/2024
Male solo artists dominate, though three female solo artists and two groups have also achieved the feat.
05/21/2024